Armenia should be an initiator in developing its relations with the EU

• 02.02.2015, 14:00
•  Europe,  World,  Armenia

"Armedia" IAA presents the policy paper "Armenia should be an initiator in developing its relations with the EU" prepared by its partner NGO "European Integration" and worked out as a result of the round table – discussion "The current state of affairs of the EU-RA relations: perspectives and the role of the Armenian civil society in this process" organized in the framework of the EU-funded project "Civil Society. Dialogue for Progress" on December 19, 2014 in Yerevan.

 

Policy Paper

 

This policy paper is based on the opinions expressed during the round-table discussion "The current state of affairs of EU-RA relations: perspectives and the role of Armenian civil society in this process", which took place on December 19th, 2014. Independent experts, state officials, diplomats and representatives from NGOs took part, and the event was organised in the framework of the EU-funded project "Civil Society: Dialogue for Progress".  

This document identifies the concerns, opinions and suggestions expressed during the discussion and that could be of some practical use, thereby contributing to the development of EU-Armenia relations.  

 

It is well-known that the Republic of Armenia has always tried to conduct its foreign policy in a fair and balanced manner, combining this as far as possible with its processes of integration. Following the announcement that Armenia was to become a member of the Customs Union (on September 3rd, 2014) and in part as a result of geopolitical developments - particularly the Ukrainian crisis - the process of Armenia’s EU integration was delayed to a certain extent. At present, after the formation of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEC) and Armenia’s accession to it, once Armenia’s duties are clarified in this respect the time will be right to assess the possible paths for launching and developing EU-Armenia relations. It is extremely important to keep the European perspective central to Armenia’s political agenda and seek to further develop EU-Armenian relations irrespective of the present unfavourable geopolitical climate. Should the process of Armenian’s European integration stagnate, this could result in a number of undesirable outcomes, such as a delay in political reforms and worsening of the political culture in the country.

The Republic of Armenia should have a more active role as an initiator in developing EU-Armenia relations. A new framework document is needed for to establish joint cooperation and widen its scope. Official negotiations are currently ongoing, aimed at defining spheres of further cooperation between the EU and Armenia. The participants in this discussion have stated that this cooperation should include all possible spheres, including economic and political reform. In this context, the EU and Armenia already have a negotiated framework for further cooperation: the Draft EU-Armenia Association Agreement. This document should serve as a basis for EU-Armenia negotiations once Armenia’s obligations in the EEU have been reviewed. The new agreement could include not only those points in the Association Agreement that do not contradict the obligations of Armenia in the Eurasian Economic Union, but also those which could still be applied following the revision.

Taking into consideration all of the above, the model for EU-Armenia negotiations is proposed as the "Association Agreement", with a Deep and Comprehensive Trade Agreement included, and conditionally to be divided into the following parts:

The first should include those points which are consistent with the obligations that Armenia agreed to undertake as a member of the EEC; these points are to be retained in the new document. The second section should be comprised of those points that it would be impossible to realise due to Armenia’s EEC membership; those points are to be excluded from the document. More work will be needed on reaching an agreement on those points, whose relation to the obligations that Armenia has undertaken as a member of the EEC has not yet been defined. Those are the points which are to become the main subject of negotiation between the EU and Armenia.  

Although no one can deny the fact that this is the exact logic according to which the current official negotiations are conducted, it is suggested that a commission of experts be formed, comprised of specialists from both the EU and Armenia in order to identify the above-mentioned points in the EU-Armenia Association Agreement and discuss their applicability in the context of Armenia’s EEC membership. It will be necessary to discuss this initiative with EEC partners beforehand. Simultaneously, a similar commission could be formed in the framework of the EEC-Armenia; the expert groups will discuss the issue in a comprehensive way and present their suggestions to the state bodies. Afterwards, if appropriate, the studies that will have been carried out can be discussed by the EU-RA-EEC tripartite expert committee. In this format, specialists from Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia can also be included.

 

In parallel to the review of the legal framework for EU-Armenia relations, it is important not to decrease the speed of internal reforms in the RA. According to some participants in the discussions for consolidating European standards and, in this context, in promoting reforms, the newly established RA Ministry of International Economic Integration and Reforms should play a definite role.

NGOs and media agencies should have a greater role in the control and monitoring of reform processes, which will be more productive if the relevant EU programmes address precisely this issue.

Localising European standards is also important in the process of RA-European integration. It would be advisable to establish an institute to conduct expert analysis and provide proper inferences on RA legal acts that are still in the process of being developed (these acts should be non- economic in the preliminary stage).

Developing relations between the EU and Armenia can be further promoted by organising public hearings in the RA National Assembly (a suggestion that has already received the approval of deputies participating in the discussion, who expressed a willingness to embark on it). Hearings organised in the Public Council could also have a unique role to play in formulating the agenda for developing EU-RA relations. These hearings will provide an opportunity to formulate the expectations of Armenian society regarding the process of European integration, which can be discussed during the hearings along with potential initiatives by the RA and prospects for developing their relations.

 Taking into consideration the present developments, bilateral RA cooperation with EU countries is especially important. EU countries that have traditionally been on friendly terms with the RA could have an important role to play in presenting the concerns, interests and expectations of the RA within the EU. Consequently, the Armenian side should be the most interested in widening its scope of cooperation with individual EU countries.

In the framework of bilateral sectoral cooperation with European countries, the existing opportunities in the sphere of economic cooperation deserve special attention. For example, in the framework of bilateral cooperation between the RA and European countries, joint projects for alternative energy resource development can also be considered, including solar and financial and expert assistance in the sphere of atomic energy.

In the framework of the RA’s European integration process, EU-funded projects intended for local self-governing bodies, NGOs and businesses are also important. These projects sometimes turn into missed opportunities due to insufficient awareness levels among target groups. It is therefore advisable that a State agency (for example the RA Ministry of International Economic Integration and Reforms, or the Ministry of Economics) compile a complete list of projects related to different spheres. Awareness among the general public should also be raised as much as possible through media campaigns.

The "EuroCaucasus" region, formed in 2009 by self-governing bodies in Armenia and Georgia, plays an important role in consolidating European values in the RA and in strengthening cooperation among countries in the Caucasus. Four local self-governing bodies from Georgia (Dmanisi, Bolnisi, Marneuli, Ninotsminda) and three regions from Armenia (Tavush, Lori, Shirak) are engaged in this project. Development in this area, together with implementation of projects aimed at broadening and deepening Armenian-Georgian cooperation, can also contribute towards spreading European values and standards.

Finally, it is extremely important that the initiatives undertaken for widening the scope of relations between the EU and the RA be presented in a complete and proper way to their societies, both by the EU and by the RA in order to strengthen mutual recognition and confidence.

 

 

 

The content of this paper does not reflect the official opinion of the European Union nor the Konrad Adenauer Foundation as lead of the consortium. Responsibility for the information and views expressed therein lies entirely with the author(s).